ETO Results

The implementation process is arduous, detailed and complex. It’s nearly impossible to get it all right on the first try. For this reason, you must anticipate that there will be system corrections, additions, and new reporting needs following launch. For those of you still in implementation, a “soft launch” (having a group of users test the system for a few months) can limit the number of issues Post-Go Live, but it won’t catch everything. Post Go-Live, Administrators must budget a…

There is one implementation scenario that we have seen occur with a few organizations (fewer and fewer, thankfully) that is truly heartbreaking: an organization did not build a solid data culture, or the executive team did not set adequate expectations. Soon after implementation, users go from sparsely using their ETO system to abandoning it altogether. In the end, the organization will have spent tens of thousands of dollars, lost a year or so of time, and will have nothing to…

We tell every Treadwell client that it doesn’t matter how great of consultants we are; if the organization doesn’t have a well-trained, technically competent administrator, the data system is unlikely to succeed. For this reason, we always recommend that the organization focus on improving the administrator’s skills. Every hour invested in improving an administrator’s skills will return ten or more hours of time saved within the year. Administrators that are supported with training and reliable resources reach their full potential…

Having provided ETO consultation and services to hundreds of organizations over the past decade or more, we’ve found that there is a consistency in the life-cycle of an organization that implements any new software, including ETO. One such consistency is the Post-Go Live phase. The process of implementation is both similar to, but also very different from data system maintenance. In Implementation, the organization focuses on gathering requirements, building out a structure to support those requirements, and then training staff…

Nonprofits are held to a very high standard by funders and the public at large. Organizations must continually prove their outcomes to their stakeholders, and demonstrate funding is being well spent. With ETO in place, your nonprofit can track a substantial amount of data to show the impact your efforts are having, but sometimes that data becomes overwhelming. You must ensure that you acquire and retain high-quality data. If you aren’t focusing on the right data points—data that is crafted…

ETO Administrators have a big job: Training new users Developing reports for everyone Configuring/re-configuring, Listening to user complaints ETO Software is powerful and configurable, but it can be hard to keep everything straight. This is especially true when you’re dealing with lots of forms, reports, and people. We’ve worked with hundreds of administrators, and noticed several traits that define high-performing administrators. You can easily incorporate these habits into your regular weekly schedule: #5: They Never Put a Form into ETO…